


Proper Foresight

by firelord65



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Mirror Universe (Star Trek), Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28540155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firelord65/pseuds/firelord65
Summary: When Lorca is summoned to the Emperor's latest whim, he finds himself with an opportunity.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: fandomtrees





	Proper Foresight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [etothey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/etothey/gifts).



There was an expectation which came from being summoned directly by the Emperor which meant you had made an  _ impression _ on her. Lorca did not feel the finger-tingling anxiety that lesser men might have from being summoned. He did not doubt that the impression he had made was a positive one. Standing with his hands pressed behind his back, Gabriel Lorca waited for the emperor to speak. He was a patient man all things considered which may have surprised others. In all things, he was more than capable of discerning what would or would not pay off. 

When Georgiou twitched her fingers to summon her daughter to her side, Lorca’s confidence faltered briefly. His knee-jerk reaction was of irritation; what had he done to deserve the demotion to glorified babysitter? But he held his tongue until he had the time to properly evaluate the young woman. If Georgiou noticed any hesitation in accepting the assignment to guard Michael she said nothing before dismissing them both. 

It only took a few days at most for Lorca to determine that Georgiou had instead handed him an unexpected opportunity. To be able to nudge and shape the potential future emperor into his own image? That was worth the sneering from the others who didn’t have the capacity for foresight. 

All the best laid plans however depended on compliance or at least cooperation from Michael. She still had much of her mother in her, including a penchant for making her own decisions a certain way regardless of how rational advice might suggest another path. The first time that she “made her own way” Michael had decided the best course of action after causing some incidental trouble was to drop the angry pursuers directly into Lorca’s unexpecting hands. Later, after the bodies had been disposed of, she had just laughed about it. She had barely been sixteen, and she had played both Lorca and the furious courtiers off of one another effortlessly. 

At that point Lorca knew he wasn’t the only one toying with the other. It was enticing and refreshing. Of course the emperor’s daughter would share her cleverness. He just hadn’t expected the manipulation. With one final readjustment to his plans, Lorca bided his time once more. Simply using Michael wouldn’t be possible. He would need to have them both in lockstep following the same goals. 

He would be patient. The payoff was worth it. They just needed a plan to follow. 


End file.
